


gone, gone / thank you

by rubenel



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Dream Smp, Family, Found Family, No Romance, Platonic Relationships, Tommy is an idiot, phil is superior father, police are horrible in this story so tread lightly, there's blood and people get hurt, this is an au that puts them in a dystopia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:41:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28290324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubenel/pseuds/rubenel
Summary: Tommy had nothing to say anytime he was brought into an interrogation room.Don’t get him wrong, plenty of words came out of his mouth- but never what authorities wanted to hear. This afternoon was no different.“Fuck you, you bitch! Hey dickhead, answer me this, for the third time this week you’ve had me in here and you’ve still learned nothing, so what kind of prick are you to keep me here?” Tommy tilted his head back to cackle, the officer rubbing his temples in distress.“One of these days, Tommyinnit, the world is going to knock you on your ass.”When they let Tommy go at the waiting room of the station, he spun on his heel looking the officer straight in the eyes.“Maybe one day, asshole, but not today.”
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Darryl Noveschosch & Sapnap, Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, TommyInnit & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Comments: 70
Kudos: 415





	1. homesick

Tommy had nothing to say anytime he was brought into an interrogation room. 

Don’t get him wrong, plenty of words came out of his mouth- but never what authorities wanted to hear. This afternoon was no different. 

“Fuck you, you bitch! Hey dickhead, answer me this, for the third time this week you’ve had me in here and you’ve still learned nothing, so what kind of prick are you to keep me here?” Tommy tilted his head back to cackle, the officer rubbing his temples in distress. 

“One of these days, Tommyinnit, the world is going to knock you on your ass.”

When they let Tommy go at the waiting room of the station, he spun on his heel looking the officer straight in the eyes. 

“Maybe one day, asshole, but not today.”

———  
Manburg was a city of great renown. It was a city chock full of the newest technology, the most powerful political figures, the biggest duel hall the country had seen, and most importantly, Schlatt Industries. 

It was a city where dreams were born, where people could be whoever they chose, and do whatever their heart desired. Manburg was a perfect city. People were happy. People were content. 

Tommyinnit was not. 

Tommy had been alone in this city as long as he could remember. He’d grown up here, seen the underhanded legal system, the corrupt politicians, the broken law enforcement. He’d been beaten down so many times by officers he’d lost count. He grew up stealing on the streets, doing less than kind work. 

He couldn’t say he was proud of who he was, but he could say he was proud he was still alive. And it was all because the only person he relied on was himself. Tommy had been living off of the streets since he was 6- before that he’d been… Well, that was a time Tommy didn’t often dwell on. 

Today was no different. Tommy woke up behind the back of an AR store that hummed with electricity- its LED’s now a comforting nightlight for the teen. He’d been camping out here ever since he’d been caught and kicked out of the old library archive. When Tommy had still lived there, he’d spend nights pouring over what the old world used to look like- before everything became so icy and digital.

The new world had changed people. There was no more communication- unless you counted the drugged up partiers who’d stumble into the AR store late at night begging for one more chance to see paradise before they hit the floor, malnourished bodies no longer able to sustain them. Tommy supposed it was rather sick that the image no longer made him nauseous as it used to.

There was no darkness in the new world- not physically, at least. Neon lights covered every building and street- lighting everything up as if at any moment all traces of sun and life would be pulled from them. 

Tommy scoffed.

Rising up from his crouched position, Tommy shoved his blanket into his bag and stretched. He zipped up the backpack with his few belongings and left the AR building. He wasn’t sure exactly what he’d do today- probably short-circuit some vendor-bot and steal some food for his breakfast first, and after that perhaps he’d visit the east-side of the city. 

Pulling his hoodie over his head. Tommy took to the streets, bobbing and weaving between people too caught up in virtual worlds to notice a teenager who looked as if he’d been living in the wilderness for most of his life. Tommy was actually glad no one noticed him- it made it easier for him to slip in and out of anywhere he pleased. 

Tommy made his way to a major square in the city, where vendors- human and AI alike- gathered to sell new technology, drugs, and food, among other things. The square was lively today- people seemed to dance around from booth to booth, buying and selling, selling and buying- it gave Tommy a headache. He needed to get food and get out of here.

Walking up to a vendor tucked towards a quieter part of the square, Tommy grinned. The AI seemed older and worn down already- and a model Tommy was all too familiar with. 

Too easy.

He stopped in front of the AI, scanning over the menu as if he were pondering over what to order.

“Welcome to-”

The robotic voice never finished its introduction, because as soon as its metallic voice started up, Tommy had jammed a screwdriver into its metal control panel (poorly hidden on the side of the robot's neck) and yanked the power cord out. It went limp and silent while Tommy gathered what he wanted to eat, grabbing a coke with it.

He couldn’t just not get a coke. Those things were hard to come across.

Tommy was all too familiar with the winding streets that led to the east-side of the city. It was referred to by some as the dead zone- for good reason, too. It was where everyone who ran out of money ended up. Practically anyone who’d lived in this city had lived there at some point. 

Not only did the hopeless end up there- but so did the gangs. Even in the new world, gangs still existed- and with even more influence than before. They distributed illegal technology, illegal drugs, and were often looked over by the police simply because of the intel they provided. 

Needless to say, the east-side wasn’t the safest place for a 16 year old. 

Not that Tommy cared. 

He loved the east-side more than anything- specifically because of the quiet it provided. Most people were too trapped in their own heads to say anything- and the gangs remained almost entirely underground. So while there were still an incredible amount of lights and billboards- everyone roamed the streets like ghosts. 

It was refreshing for Tommy when he stepped out of an alley to be met with the quiet hum of electricity and nothing else. He walked along the sidewalk, keeping his eyes low on the pavement. 

And then he ran straight into a pole. Tommy opened his mouth to curse at it- but bit his tongue when he saw what flashed across the screen. 

“IF YOU SEE THESE DANGEROUS INDIVIDUALS, DO NOT APPROACH! IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AUTHORITIES.” 

Tommy’s face scrunched up in confusion- there had been no widespread public violence in years, and never with more than one person. The people the headline had been referring to appeared on the screen and Tommy stared closely, making a mental note of their features. 

A man with pastel pink hair that fell below his biceps was in the center- and he had clearly had aesthetic surgery done. He had a pair of small tusks that jutted out from his lower jaw, soft pink ears that looked suspiciously like pig ears, and bright red iris that made the man look like a maniac. Next to him was a man who looked to be the same age- but an entirely different appearance. He had curving ram horns that framed his face, soft blue eyes, and curly brown hair that looked as if it was poking his eyes all of the time.

Impractical, if you asked Tommy.

The third man on the far left made Tommy’s stomach churn. 

He’d seen him before, only once, and years ago.

He had a set of wings that emerged from his shoulder blades that were fully functional- Tommy knew they were functional for a fact- forest green eyes, and shoulder length blonde hair. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes- like he had a mission and would stop at nothing to finish it. 

In the back of his mind he wondered why they were wanted- and then came to the conclusion it was none of his business. Today, he decided he would stay out of trouble.

\------

Well, that had been the plan. But that cop had been looking at him like he was street trash- and even if he was, what gave a pig the right to look at him like he was nothing? The bastard had it coming when Tommy tackled him and bit his hand- but Tommy wasn’t prepared to be tazed and beat with a battering stick. 

The words from the officer rattled around in his brain as he sat handcuffed in the holding cell, his mouth pulled into a snarl. Who gave that officer the right to look down on him? He felt pain blossom through his cheek as he snarled- knowing his face was going to be bruised now as well.

His ribs ached badly, and he figured he’d probably bruised a few. his hands were scraped up from being thrown back onto the concrete, still bleeding a bit. His knees were no better but at least there were no more holes in his already tattered jeans. He wanted to hold off on crime for a while, and stealing clothes was always a pain.

Tommy wondered how he was going to worm himself out of this one- he literally attacked an officer- and he had been here YESTERDAY. A low growl left him and he flexed his hands open and closed, hissing at the sting of it. 

He was lost in thought when the holding cell door opened, staring at the wounds- his head snapping up at the screech of the door. His blood ran cold and his heart picked up speed when he saw who was being escorted into the cell with him--

The three wanted men.

When the door closed behind the cop, the space in the cell felt suffocating. Tommy was hardly ever quiet, much less speechless- but with so many things he wanted to say and no courage to say it, he instead shrunk into the cell corner.

“I know you.”

The oldest of the three spoke, his wings shuffling. His green eyes zeroed in on Tommy, a curious glint to them. He looked nothing like the photos they put out. Not because the features were wrong- but because he was kind. 

“No you don’t.” The words came quickly and naturally from Tommy, his voice defensive and harsh. The older man chuckled, rubbing his hands on his chin.

“No, I do. You’re the boy I saved from a burning tower three years ago.”

Tommy felt his mouth go dry. There was no way this old man remembered an incident like that- he had too much going on in his life for that.

“You told me my flying was shit before you ran off into the night. I couldn’t find you after that no matter how long I looked- where did you go, by the way?” 

“Why the fuck would I tell you, bitch? And your flying was-” Tommy stopped, realizing he’d been caught and groaned, leaning back against the wall. He heard a soft snicker and flicked his eyes to the man with the ram horns, anger flaring up in him. 

“What’s so funny, dickhead? Huh?” He could feel himself lurch forwards, feet ready to propel him up, when a loud stomp startled him back against the wall.

“Calm down, idiot. You’ll draw attention too soon.” A smooth, cold voice made him growl, opening his mouth to curse this pink haired bastard out, when he caught the dangerous glint in the man’s eyes. He shut his mouth, crossing his arms across his chest.

“I’m not listening to you, I just don’t feel like fighting right now.” His stand-offish nature rubbed off even in front of highly wanted criminals, apparently. The man snorted in disbelief but said nothing more, rolling his eyes.

“Your name was T-”

“Tommy.” Tommy said, cutting the older man off quickly. 

“Tommy. Only Tommy.”

He sounded more serious than he had since the men had first entered the cell and the older man hummed in acknowledgment. The silence settled between them, Tommy shaking his leg to a rhythm that only he knew.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when an officer- the same officer who Tommy had bitten- entered the cell. He yanked Tommy up, “accidentally” slamming him into a wall on his way forward. A yelp escaped Tommy as his bruised ribs met hard concrete, and he crumpled to the ground immediately. 

“Hey! He’s just a kid, what’s wrong with you?”   
Tommy recognized the sharp voice as the oldest of the wanted men even with his head spinning, and it made him feel pathetic. He needed to get up. He struggled to make it to his feet but his head was spinning badly- It almost felt as if a liquid was falling down his face. His vision was blurring badly, more so as he pushed against the ground, fighting the heavy fuzz falling over his mind.

“Oh, fuck!” 

What had he missed? That wasn’t a voice he’d heard before- suddenly, a blob of black fell in the edge of Tommy’s peripheral and it was in that moment Tommy knew, all hell had broken loose. But unfortunately for him, he wouldn’t see the fight that was about to break out.

Phil didn’t see himself as an impulsive man.

But when it came to a corrupt police officer hurting a literal child simply because he could?

Well, that was a different story entirely.

Phil had to admit he had a soft spot for kids, it was just blatantly obvious with how he had taken in two children from off of the streets- and the fact that he had saved Tommy from a burning tower. All things considered, if Tommy hadn’t have run that night, he may have had three sons.

But that wasn’t what was on Phil’s mind right now. With Tommy crumpled to the ground, bleeding from his head. Phil was at a level of anger he hadn’t felt in a long time. His wings were shaking in anger and he had already risen to his feet, ready to lunge at the officer and take him down. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Techno eyeing him, waiting to see what he would do before he jumped in. 

Wilbur eyed Tommy in concern and something else- something you could even call admiration, though Phil didn’t have the attention to puzzle out why. 

“Old man, sit the fuck down before I knock you out too.”

That was the trigger for Techno, who immediately rose to his feet. 

“If another word comes out of your mouth about my father, I will tear your tongue out of your throat.”

“He’s not your father, you’re just a pair of orphans an old man picked up off of the street like recyclable trash-” Techno swung hard right into the officer's jaw, grabbing his shoulder harshly afterwards and slamming his knee into the officer's stomach repeatedly. While the officer tried to stumble back, Techno grabbed the man by the back of his neck, slamming the officer’s face into the wall over and over again. 

There was a stain of blood on the wall when Techno stopped, breathing heavily. Phil knew more officers would be coming at the noise- so he threw Tommy over his shoulder and turned back to Techno. 

“We have to go. There’ll be more officers soon and I don’t know how badly Tommy here is hurt.”

Wilbur rose off of the floor with a ring of keys, a wide smile across his face. 

“Idiot carried all his keys on his person. Not very responsible if you ask me.”

Phil couldn’t help the snicker that left him as they all left the cell. 

Alarms started shrieking throughout the building, the lights in the building flashing. Phil already knew exactly what turns to take, which doors to use- and they were out of the station and on the way back home with no interference. 

The walk back was relatively quiet, Tommy remaining passed out over Phil’s shoulder the whole time. Techno had calmed down and was discussing the damage done to the officer with Wilbur, who kept a small smile on his face the whole time. He may not have said anything, but Phil knew the officer’s words had made Wil livid as well. A few moments passed of silence before Techno spoke up with a grin,

“So, a third son?”


	2. weapon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy hadn’t felt this much pain since he’d spent his first month on the street, so dehydrated he was hallucinating and malnourished. His head felt like it was splitting in half, pulling apart at the skull. He groaned at the slightest movement of turning his head, his eyes cracking open slowly to the dull LEDs and neon lights.
> 
> His thoughts felt like honey pouring down a cup of tea- slow and thick. He couldn’t fight his eyes closing again, not noticing the man slumped over in a chair beside him.
> 
> When he woke up again, there was no splitting pain, no slowness of thought- just light.
> 
> “Oh, fuck, am I dead?”

Tommy hadn’t felt this much pain since he’d spent his first month on the street, so dehydrated he was hallucinating and malnourished. His head felt like it was splitting in half, pulling apart at the skull. He groaned at the slightest movement of turning his head, his eyes cracking open slowly to the dull LEDs and neon lights.

His thoughts felt like honey pouring down a cup of tea- slow and thick. He couldn’t fight his eyes closing again, not noticing the man slumped over in a chair beside him.

When he woke up again, there was no splitting pain, no slowness of thought- just light.

“Oh, fuck, am I dead?” He wondered aloud, pushing himself up with his hands gently. His surroundings hinted to him that he was certainly not dead, he just wasn’t anywhere he recognized. He didn’t remember the last time he’d slept in a bed, much less for more than five hours.

That was, assuming he’d been asleep that long.

No one else was in the room with Tommy, so naturally, he got up to explore. He wasn’t going to leave just yet, he’d scope out if there was anything worth stealing here first and then try and puzzle his way out of this new location. The neon lights formed a moth of sorts- its wings were beautifully curved glass tubes that hummed with neon, tiny star shapes surrounding it.

Tommy caught himself staring at it for longer than he should have, a feeling of nostalgia stirring in him. He shook his head with a scowl, angry at himself for finding something so childish interesting. 

He contemplated with himself for only a moment before deciding no, there was nothing worth stealing here. He slipped out of the room, finding a hallway lit with LEDs that fit the crevices. 

Someone here clearly had a taste for LED aesthetics. 

Tommy was confused with how large this place was after he’d been walking for ten minutes until he realized he’d passed his room three times now. 

“What the fuck.” Tommy said, frustration boiling in him. There had to be a way out of here, he just needed to look closer. He ran his hands over the walls, humming a tune only he knew under his breath as he went when his hand ran over a slight crack in the wall.

He froze before backing up, running his hands over the cracks realizing it was indeed a door frame. He pushed his hands against it gently and it gave, a quiet hiss sounding before it slid into the wall, a new hallway visible to Tommy now.

“I am not doing a fucking maze,” Tommy mumbled, wringing his hands nervously.

He hated not knowing where he was- he hated being trapped. His mind was racing with the possibilities of what could have happened, the adrenaline from the panic set in. He was just starting to hyperventilate when another door popped open, a tired pink-haired man staring him straight in the eyes.

“Oh shit. You’re not supposed to be up yet.”

Tommy blinked at him in shock, before sucking in a breath-

“YOU FUCKING BITCH WHY DO YOU LIVE IN A FUCKING MAZE DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD IT IS TO GET ANYWHERE HERE I SWEAR TO GOD I’M GOING TO START STABBING SHIT IF YOU DON’T-”   
Tommy was cut off by the pink-haired man picking Tommy up off of the floor and tossing him over his shoulder. 

“Yeah, yeah, start stabbing shit after Phil checks your wounds, ‘kay?” The man said, a twinge of humor in his voice. 

Tommy was absolutely baffled by these men. Who the fuck did they think they were? Tommy was a HUGE man who deserved to be treated as much- not tossed around like a bag of flour! 

Hey, wait. Wounds? Tommy thought for a moment on what that could mean- before he remembered exactly how he ended up meeting these men in the first place.

“What happened to that officer?” Tommy asked, more out of curiosity than concern.

“I smashed his face into a wall until I couldn’t see his nose anymore.” The man said bluntly.

Tommy cackled, laughter racking his body so hard he was slipping from the man’s shoulder. He couldn't believe how honest the man was, making his statement all the funnier because he knew it was true. 

Tommy couldn’t tell if the man was shaking from laughter or disappointment- but he knew which one Tommy was going to assume was true.

Silence sat comfortably between them as the man continued to carry him down a hallway that seemed to go on forever- until Tommy decided to ask questions.

“What’s your name?”

“Technoblade.”

“Why are you a wanted criminal?”

“I’m an anarchist.”

“Why?”

“Government is stupid.”

“Amen, big man, amen.”

The silence returned until Technoblade used his free hand not supporting Tommy to push open a door to a new room. 

“We’re here, Phil. He was already wandering around when I went to go get him.”  
Technoblade dropped Tommy back onto his feet, to which Tommy promptly brushed himself off, shooting a look to the pink-haired man. The man Technoblade had called Phil looked up and Tommy recognized him as the oldest. 

“Wait, he was up? It should’ve taken him a few more days to wake up with the potion we gave him…” Phil rubbed his chin before shrugging, turning his attention to Tommy. 

“So, what’d you think of the room? I thought moths fit you rather well, you had a certain air about you- just, uh, fit.”

For some reason, that made Tommy angry. 

“Old man, you don’t know shit about me. Don’t act all fucking high and mighty like you SAVED me. I was just fine on my own, I didn’t need your fuckin’ pity.” Tommy said, words acidic and laced with hurt.

Something flashed over Phil’s eyes and Technoblade frowned deeply- stepping forward to say something when Phil raised his hand to stop him.

“Tommy, I didn’t pity you. You had a set of bruised ribs, a fractured ankle, and one of the worst TBI’s I’d seen in my life. You had the shit beat out of you- we only brought you here to fix you up and present a proposition.” Phil said. 

Tommy didn’t speak, mainly because he was still trying to figure out what a TBI was. Then his mind clicked around the word proposition and he straightened up. 

“And it isn’t out of pity?”

“No.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll hear you out. Hurry up, I’ve got-” He paused, pondering what he could say-

“Police to piss off.”

Phil quirked an eyebrow at him but shrugged, a small smile on his face. He extended a hand to the chair next to him and Tommy eyed it for a moment before sitting down. Techno sat down as well, stifling a yawn with his hand.

“Tommy, we want to destroy the government here in the city.”

The words hung in the air for a moment and Tommy cackled, thinking the man was joking. Phil wasn’t laughing.

“We’ve seen footage of you dismantling robots, AI, AR, security systems, not to mention your track record with the police. I’ve never seen someone end up in the station four times a week. Tommy, we’d like you to join our revolution.”

Tommy froze. They had been watching him? Not even that but they were interested in him, of all people? So he knew some tech and his way around a screwdriver- so what?

“I-” His voice caught in his throat and he tried to put his anger over his fear. Over the want to be wanted- over his excitement of actually being a part of something that meant something. He wanted to believe someone genuinely wanted him. 

But that wasn’t what life had taught him.

“So you want to use me, right? Fine. Since you watch me all the time anyway, you’ll know where to find me. Now tell me where the fuck the exit is.” 

Phil looked taken aback by his harsh tone but his face softened after a moment.

“Tommy, you don’t have to leave. We were hoping-”

Tommy drowned it out. Pity. That’s all this was. They thought he needed pity. 

“Hoping what? You could pick me up off of the streets and make me one of your sons? I don’t need to be part of your pathetic family! I don’t need you, I don’t need this, and most of all I don’t want to be like HIM!” Tommy threw his hand at Technoblade, snarling. 

“I’m not so desperate I’d be used as a fucking weapon to get a scrap of love! I’m not so foolish to believe someone would ever give a FUCK about street trash!” Tommy was crying now, his anger bubbling over into the tears falling down his cheeks. Even if he regretted the words he’d said, it was better to put a wedge between them before Tommy could trick himself into thinking anyone in the new world could care about anyone besides themself.

Technoblade looked absolutely livid.

“Are you kidding me? You ungrateful, selfish, ignorant brat.” Technoblade had a cold, vicious tone that Phil said nothing to. The older man just looked sad.

“You’re such an idiot. Phil saved me and Wil’s lives. We were being used as weapons in an illegal underground dueling ring. The police didn’t give a fuck about us. They WATCHED, as day after fucking day we were beaten into the ground for some greedy rich investors' enjoyment. Phil saved us from death because he cared. He saw the injustice and CORRECTED it. He saw what we could be and raised us up. We agreed to help the revolution because we believed in it. But before the revolution, he is my father, and I’ll die on that before I let you disrespect his kindness again. He spent days beside you while you recovered for you to spout some self-righteous bullshit like this? You’re lucky I don’t throw you out right now. You’re such a fucking brat.”

Tommy had nothing to say. He was shocked by Technoblade’s outburst. He had no idea what the history was between the three- only his assumptions and the media to go off of. Phil looked tired, Technoblade looked furious- and Tommy looked stupid.

He stared at the ground, clenching his fists. “I’ll leave, then. Apologies, Phil.”

Tommy turned quickly, breaking into a full out run from the room. He darted down hallways, desperately searching for a way out. 

TommyInnit didn’t feel bad. He never apologized. He was always right. So why was he crying? Why did he want to go back and beg for forgiveness? For a second chance? 

He was so caught up in his thoughts he didn’t even see Wilbur coming until he ran straight into him.

“Hey, hey- Tommy?”

Tommy couldn’t breathe. He didn’t see Wilbur. He saw that officer. He saw someone looking down on him. He saw someone who was disgusted by him. It wasn’t Wilbur- it was a blend of faces. His father. His Mother. Cops. Androids. Himself. 

The world was spinning. His lungs hurt, his vision swam, everything in him screamed to just BREATHE IN 

but he couldn’t. 

He crumpled to the floor- trying to sob but choking on nothing. 

Until something pushed against his chest. He gasped for air desperately and randomly, his mouth hanging open as his lungs worked overtime to bring him back to reality.

“Hey, I’ve got you…. Breathe with… In… Okay, I’ve got… Safe…” The words bled in and out of Tommy’s ears, and even though he couldn’t quite understand the meaning behind the words they grounded him. He found himself breathing again, his vision blurring back together- He clung to Wilbur desperately, words tumbling out of him.

“Don’t hate.. Don’t- Leave, please…” He hiccuped, his chest heaving against Wilbur. Wilbur hummed a tune-

A tune that only Tommy knew. A tune that only Wilbur knew. 

A tune only the two of them could share as Wilbur held Tommy close, rubbing circles in his back as he cried.

“I know, Toms. I’m right here. I’m not leaving.”

And he didn’t.


	3. proper family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was a silence in the room before Techno coughed, rising to his feet.
> 
> “We went about bringing him into our family the wrong way. He interpreted it as us using him and-”
> 
> “None of this can be put on him, Technoblade. He’s sixteen. We’re the adults, we’re supposed to be better than the people in his past. Not yelling at him over the only reaction he knows. He’s going to be a prick sometimes, Techno, he’s a teenager. You know we used to be just the same.”
> 
> Techno shifted his gaze to the ground, tugging at the ends of his hair before nodding.
> 
> “Alright. We’ll try again. The right way, this time.”
> 
> Wilbur looked to Phil, a sad smile brushing over his face.
> 
> “Phil, I know you’ve cared about him ever since, well, you know. But this is going to take time.” Wilbur spoke, adjusting the teen who was still asleep in his arms gently.
> 
> “You’re right, Wil. I’m sorry. I should’ve been more careful- he’s still just a boy, after all.”

The neon had lulled Tommy to sleep in Wilbur’s arms and the older man couldn’t help but sigh. He gently picked the teen up, carrying him in a bridal style as to be more considerate of the bruising Tommy still had over his torso.

He’d been told that Tommy was somewhere in the building- but he hadn’t been told why the boy was running, why he was a sobbing, hyperventilating panic attack waiting to happen, or even when he’d woken up, to begin with. Wilbur was concerned that Tommy had tried burning the place down or something and that had been why it was so dire to catch him- but instead, he’d just found a teenager who looked as though the whole world had fallen around him.

Wilbur took the shortcut back to the meeting room, soft blue neon lights falling on him. Wilbur remembered when they’d first moved in here, how hard he’d fought to make sure there was at least one room hooked up with LEDs. After that they’d just taken over the whole base- every room hosting unique neon light signs and a pale LED light scheme. 

Bony hands clung to Wilbur’s soft yellow sweater, pulling it close as if it was the only source of heat they’d ever feel again. Tommy was incredibly skinny, skin pulled tight to the bone. When Wilbur had brought Niki in to look him over, he’d seen the look of pure horror in her eyes at the state he was in. 

Removing the bruises, removing the dehydration, and the malnourishment- you were left with a teen who had too many scars, too many burns- someone who was too young to see what Tommy had seen. Sure, since they’d put him on an IV for a week, Tommy wasn’t in critical condition. 

That didn’t mean you could magically fix years of mistreatment. 

Pushing his foot against the corner of a doorframe, Wilbur stepped back as the hidden door hissed and slid back. Wilbur stepped into the room where Techno and Phil were already sat, arguing quietly. They lifted their heads to Wilbur entering, Phil looking a tad bit guilty at the teen passed out in Wilbur’s arms.

“What happened?” Phil asked, his voice quiet and curious.

“I’d like to ask the same question,” Wilbur said, “because he passed out in my arms after hyperventilating in a hallway begging me not to leave him.”

There was a silence in the room before Techno coughed, rising to his feet.

“We went about bringing him into our family the wrong way. He interpreted it as us using him and-”

“None of this can be put on him, Technoblade. He’s sixteen. We’re the adults, we’re supposed to be better than the people in his past. Not yelling at him over the only reaction he knows. He’s going to be a prick sometimes, Techno, he’s a teenager. You know we used to be just the same.”

Techno shifted his gaze to the ground, tugging at the ends of his hair before nodding.

“Alright. We’ll try again. The right way, this time.”

Wilbur looked to Phil, a sad smile brushing over his face.

“Phil, I know you’ve cared about him ever since, well, you know. But this is going to take time.” Wilbur spoke, adjusting the teen who was still asleep in his arms gently.

“You’re right, Wil. I’m sorry. I should’ve been more careful- he’s still just a boy, after all.”

\------ 

When Tommy woke up next he was back in the same room as before but this time, he wasn’t alone. There was a lady sitting in the room with him, swiping through a tablet with a look of concentration. 

“Who the hell are you?”

Her head snapped up, a smile on her face. “Good morning Tommy! I’m Niki, one of Wilbur’s friends- he was just here but he went to go get food. How are you feeling?”

Tommy felt confusion leak into his mind, an audible, “huh?” escaping him. He couldn’t wrap his mind around why this lady was in the room genuinely wanting to know how he was. 

And Wilbur had been here? He cringed at the memory of pleading with Wilbur not to go- he had no idea why he’d done that. He had no idea why the other man had listened, either. 

“Listen, lady, I don’t need your pity.”

“It isn’t pity, Tommy.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“It is and I’m never wrong so-”

Niki stifled a giggle behind a clenched fist before rising to her feet, extending a hand to Tommy.

“Well, believe what you want, but I need to show you something since you seem to be in high enough spirits.” Niki was smiling happily and it made something in Tommy feel lighter, a small grin gracing his features if only for a moment.

“Yeah, alright, you crazy lady.”

Niki told Tommy stories about the three men as they walked through the hallways- of how they’d destroyed an entire fleet of aggressive government coded droids- a story of how they’d destroyed an illegal underground drug trafficking ring and how pissed the police had been about it for months. She told Tommy about Technoblade’s status in the dueling rings and how the only reason he’d stopped going was that he was waiting for someone named Dream.

Tommy wouldn’t admit to anyone that he hung onto every word Niki said.

“Hey, why does it take so long to get anywhere in this fuckin’ hell?” Tommy asked, his energy much more relaxed around Niki than he had been just half an hour ago. 

“Well, honestly there are warp pads we all usually use to get around but your health isn’t good enough for it. You’d lose too many particles in the jump.”

Tommy scratched his head as he tried to process what she’d just said. 

“How big is this place?”

“It stretches out ten miles!”

Tommy choked, coughing harshly, “TEN??”

Niki laughed so hard she was folded over, holding her stomach at the look of pure shock on his face.

“Well you didn’t think it was just the four of us, did you?” She laughed, wiping the tears gathering at the edge of her eyes.

Tommy opened his mouth to say something but shut it back again after deciding, yes, he had thought it was only the four of them. Niki pushed a door open and beckoned Tommy forward, a smile on her face.

What Tommy saw made his jaw drop. 

He walked forwards into the room, scanning everything quickly- it couldn’t be real. Nether jumping was supposed to be impossible- “How is this- there’s so much-”

There was a gentle hand on his shoulder and suddenly he was very aware of Phil, Techno, and Wilbur.

“Tommy, welcome to the forge.”

Technoblade stepped in front of Tommy, a conflicted look playing his face. 

“Tommy, I’m sorry.” The words sounded like they pained him, and a part of Tommy was delighted by that. He’d gotten an apology from one of the country’s most wanted men. 

Sure, Tommy was still incredibly hesitant to be around people. Even after all of the stories Niki had told him, even after this incredible display of pure netherite gear- there was still the nagging fear he wasn’t wanted. That he’d be abandoned. 

“I- Well, I-” Tommy was stumbling over his words, rolling his shoulders looking for something to say.

“I don’t trust you. But I do think this is really fucking cool.” 

There was a pause before everyone burst into laughter, even Technoblade chuckling at the teen’s blunt admission. 

“Well, Tommy, how would you like to join the revolution? Not as a weapon, or as a tool, or something to be thrown aside- but as a person. An ally. Maybe even-” Phil had stepped forward but paused at the end of his sentence, brows crinkling in thought.

“Well, maybe even family, if you’d have us.”

“I don’t imagine I’ve ever had a proper family. They always seemed quite shit.” Tommy said, trying to hold a straight face.

He was working with dozens of emotions at once- fear, anxiety, bravery, joy, sadness, helplessness- But all of that went away when Niki tugged on his hand, flashing him a smile. She squeezed it gently and Tommy couldn’t help but squeeze back. 

“Yeah. I reckon we’ll be the first good one.”


	4. the past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first swing forward was powerful and Schlatt couldn’t help the sick grin that spread over his face as he cut into the boy’s arm. The boy screamed in pain- but instead of running as Schlatt had expected, he leaped straight for Schlatt’s face, swinging the screwdriver into his horn. 
> 
> The sickening crack that rang through the hallway was almost as horrific as the howl of pain Schlatt released, his eyes shifting from a calm brown to a vicious red. 
> 
> The tip of Schlatt’s left horn was left on the floor- a bright gold dripping from the rest of his horn almost like blood. He put his hand over the horn for only a moment- feeling as if he was missing a piece of himself. And he was. 
> 
> “You’re fucking dead!” Schlatt screamed, swinging his blade with no rhyme or reason, his vision completely clouded with red. 

_ Manburg Towers, three years ago. _

_ Some would consider Manburg to be a city of great renown. A city where dreams came true, where people were truly happy- _

_ But let’s cut the shit.  _

_ Manburg was cut straight from the bedrock of hell. It was a city of corrupt government, power trips, lies, and crime. It was submerging people in a drugged-out haze, too faded to realize they were in a bomb about to explode.  _

_ But Schlatt would fix it. _

_ There was no need for revolution. No need for sobriety. No need for anyone to think anything other than what  _ _ he wanted _ _. _

_ Schlatt was hosting a convention for his new technological advancement.  _

_ Netherite droids.  _

_ Droids with paneling made of pure netherite- weapons of pure diamond, and intelligence made to recognize the faces of any wanted citizens. They were Schlatt’s pride and joy. He put all of his free time into them, coding, smelting- channeling funds from less than shady sources to sponsor his project. _

_ And this convention was the eye of it all.  _

_ He knew people would show up with ulterior motives, he  _ _ planned  _ _ on it. In fact, he was hoping a trio of revolutionaries would show up- it would give him a good opportunity to test the new droids.  _

_ He straightened his tie, polished his horns, put on a smile, and made his entrance. _

_ \---- _

_ It was hour three of the convention when everything went wrong.  _

_ Things had been going missing in the convention- robots meant to be helping guests were shut down- almost as if a screwdriver had been shoved through the hardware. There were entire plates of food missing- silverware, too. _

_ Minor things, but things nonetheless.  _

_ Schlatt noticed everything. Especially the kid who kept crossing his peripheral- forks hanging out of his pockets. He was going to put a stop to it.  _

_ He flipped out a knife he’d hidden in his jacket pocket, the deep purple metal glinting under the bright lights. Who’d miss some thief who came off of the streets? _

_ He doubted anyone even knew the kid’s name.  _

_ Schlatt excused himself silently from the current presentation by one of his lead engineers, slipping into a hallway he’d seen the child run into.  _

_ As he suspected, the boy was hunched over on the ground, organizing random utensils and jewelry he’d stolen. Schlatt moved silently across the floor until he was directly over the boy, flipping his knife out in one fluid movement.  _

_ “Well, what have we here?” _

_ The boy looked up at him in absolute horror- trying to kick away the things he’d very clearly stolen. He crawled backward quickly, yanking a screwdriver out of his pocket.  _

_ “Let me go or I’ll- I swear I’ll-“ _

_ “‘I- I-‘ Shut up, you little rat. I’ve seen you stealing all fuckin’ night, and seeing as the exterminators aren’t here tonight, I’ll be dealing with you myself.” _

_ The first swing forward was powerful and Schlatt couldn’t help the sick grin that spread over his face as he cut into the boy’s arm. The boy screamed in pain- but instead of running as Schlatt had expected, he leaped straight for Schlatt’s face, swinging the screwdriver into his horn.  _

_ The sickening crack that rang through the hallway was almost as horrific as the howl of pain Schlatt released, his eyes shifting from a calm brown to a vicious red.  _

_ The tip of Schlatt’s left horn was left on the floor- a bright gold dripping from the rest of his horn almost like blood. He put his hand over the horn for only a moment- feeling as if he was missing a piece of himself. And he  _ **_was._ **

_ “You’re fucking  _ **_dead!”_ ** _ Schlatt screamed, swinging his blade with no rhyme or reason, his vision completely clouded with red.  _

_ The chase went down like this: _

_ The boy made a turn into a new hallway and Schlatt came barreling behind him, every turn the gap shortening between them.  _

_ Schlatt was fueled by pure manic anger- and the boy was fueled by the fear of losing his life. They reached a dead end after what felt like hours of the chase- Schlatt heaving in anger, charging at the boy.  _

_ The boy dodged quickly, shoving Schlatt to the ground from behind him. The fear that shone in his eyes was gone now-  _

_ No, now the boy had a plan.  _

_ Schlatt barely had time to rise to his feet when the boy slammed his screwdriver into a power panel. _

_ “Holy shit, NO!”  _

_ Schlatt was too late to scream at the boy because before he knew it sparks were catching on curtains, and the fire was catching  _ **_everywhere._ **

_ The boy stood over him only a moment longer- before he was gone.  _

_ And Schlatt was after him.  _

_ Running in fire is a horrible idea. The smoke hits your lungs like hundred-pound weights, your eyes are teary and sore- you feel as if you’re running through the fog of time.  _

_ Schlatt didn’t care if he  _ **_died,_ ** _ he was killing this kid. He didn’t know why he was so fixated on killing a petty thief- a  _ **_child,_ ** _ no less, but he was in too deep to give up now.  _

_ The chase led them up to the very top floor- where the fires were spreading very, very quickly. It wasn’t any easier to breathe, and the floors were starting to splinter and groan beneath them, but neither was giving up.  _

_ The boy held the screwdriver out before him, a scowl set deep into his face.  _

_ “Old man, do us both a favor and go to hell!” _

_ The boy tried to charge him- to push him back to the ground, but Schlatt was quicker this time. He grabbed the boy by the arms and slammed him into a window- the glass shattering behind the boy.  _

_ He was now dangling the kid out of the window, a sick smile playing on his face.  _

_ “When you see Lucifer, tell him I said I’ll see him soon, you fucking rat.” _

_ Schlatt pushed the boy out of the window with more strength than was probably ever necessary- and watched him plummet to what  _ **_should_ ** _ have been his death.  _

_ But it wasn’t.  _

_ There was only the silhouette of wings swooping in front of Schlatt when he  _ **_knew_ ** _ the kid wasn’t going to die.  _

_ He was snatched out of the air by someone Schlatt knew all too well-  _

_ “Philza.”  _

_ The words came out like poison, pain, and anger coursing through Schlatt’s veins like a drug that was killing him slowly.  _

_ This night was  _ **_not_ ** _ what Schlatt had planned. The man was losing his grip on the city- and that  _ **_was not acceptable._ **

_ Schlatt would find the boy. And Philza. And that entire group of scum that called themselves revolutionaries.  _

_ And he would make Manburg perfect again. No matter what burned to the ground to make it happen. _


	5. netherite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I wasn’t upset at you for picking them up, those are just very dangerous. They’re enchanted to hell and back- me and Phil found them during a dimension-jumping trip. They burn to us- but the enchantment must be compatible with you. Strange.”
> 
> Techno shrugged, turning the sword in his hands- before resting the sword at his side. 
> 
> “Here, grab them again. I want to see how you fare against me with this older sword.”
> 
> Tommy swallowed dryly, his hands starting to sweat as he held the blades closer to his chest. The power he felt flow through him was only a small reassurance- the glint in Techno’s eyes telling Tommy he wasn’t going to hold back.
> 
> “Ready?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to the wormhole server for helping with this fic so much <3

Tommy woke up in a cold sweat, the scar on his arm tingling with a fervor. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone but his nightmares of Schlatt shook him to his core- he hoped he never saw the man alone again.

He had spent the whole night before just laughing with Niki, Techno, and Wil after Phil had announced it was past his bedtime.

Now it was seven in the morning and he just wanted to forget about the fiery nightmare. 

He rose out of bed and stretched, feeling satisfaction from the way his spine popped in relief. Tommy couldn’t allow himself to be still for too long, so he took off down the hallways in search of something he wasn’t quite sure of.

He’d been told he’d be allowed to use the warp pads when he was able to last more than a minute against Technoblade- at which Technoblade had snickered. Tommy knew he wasn’t the  _ best  _ at fighting and after all this time he’d lost a lot of muscle and weight. 

The streets weren’t kind to growing teens.

Tommy sometimes went days without food on rougher weeks, his only source of water being the faucets on the back of buildings- the water had tasted like rust and had smelled like sewage. Tommy was used to scrounging and stealing- not to a warm room, food, water, and what Tommy might even call comfort.

He didn’t open up to what his time on the streets looked like. He didn’t explain why he’d been free-falling from Schlatt Towers three years ago, either.

Tommy was still wrapping his head around the fact that he’d gone into a coma after his jail experience with the three men. 

Nki had explained to him that his body was on its last legs- it was malnourished, sodium levels extremely high- likely a result of the “water” Tommy had been drinking. Not to mention infected cuts Tommy still wouldn’t explain.

It wasn’t their business to know what he had been doing before they found him- even if they had been watching his arrest record. 

It was about ten minutes later when Tommy found himself at the forge. 

The place was huge, weapons lining the walls- weapons Tommy had never seen before. They were all sharpened to perfection, glistening under the lights. They almost seemed more like a display than a collection of actual, used, weaponry.

Tommy walked over to a wall of knives- twin blades, daggers, throwing knives, kunai- and all of them were made out of netherite. Tommy couldn’t even begin to imagine when they’d gotten the time to gather that much netherite- much less who’d had the skill to forge these. 

He gingerly removed a set of daggers off of the wall- the weight feeling comfortable and natural in his hands. The netherite seemed to shine a deeper purple when in his hands- sending a rush of energy through Tommy that made him shiver.

“Woah- Tommy, be careful with those!”

Tommy jumped at the sudden noise, shoving the blades back on the wall. He spun back around quickly, wringing his hands.

“Sorry, Techno- I was just, uh, curious as to what they were like. I’ve only seen real netherite once or twice,” He shifted his eyes to the side at that, biting the inside of his cheek, “and I didn’t really get a good look.”

Techo’s facial expressions softened a bit and he made his way over to Tommy- this time pulling a sword down from the wall next to Tommy. 

“I wasn’t upset at you for picking them up, those are just very dangerous. They’re enchanted to hell and back- Phil and I found them during a dimension-jumping trip. They burn to us- but the enchantment must be compatible with you. Strange.”

Techno shrugged, turning the sword in his hands- before resting the sword at his side. 

“Here, grab them again. I want to see how you fare against me with this older sword.”

Tommy swallowed dryly, his hands starting to sweat as he held the blades closer to his chest. The power he felt flow through him was only a small reassurance- the glint in Techno’s eyes telling Tommy he wasn’t going to hold back.

“Ready?”

Tommy only had the time to just open his mouth when Techno swung his sword out. 

Tommy felt the adrenaline kick in- the scar on his arm burning him into action. He caught the edge of Techno’s sword with the curve of his daggers, pushing the sword away from him. He used his right dagger to jab at Techno- but was too slow.

Techno caught Tommy’s freehand and swung him to the ground, raising his sword to strike down. Tommy rolled quickly to the left, jumping to his feet with a quick swipe of the left dagger. It would’ve caught Techno’s arm if it hadn't been for the quick parry Techno makes. 

Tommy grits his teeth in determination, the power of the netherite filling him with power. He’s moving quicker, hitting harder- these blades took the fighting Tommy already knew and pushed him  _ further.  _

Techno was faster.

The two were on a power trip. Tommy would seem to have the upper hand for only a moment- and Techno would snatch it back. His swings were brutal and unforgiving- but Tommy met all of them, albeit stumbling a bit more each time. 

They lost track of time in the fight. Tommy was dripping sweat from his face, arms, legs- even  _ Techno  _ was starting to glisten a bit under the bright lights. 

They hadn’t even noticed a mortified Niki who realized what was happening. They didn’t see her run off to go get help when she received no replies to her pleas for them to stop.

Techno cut Tommy’s upper arm, the teen hissing in pain. Even as blood slid down his arm the fight went on- Tommy’s returning parrys became weaker. Tommy thrust forward over and over again, desperate to pay the man back- but each time he was only met with cold netherite. 

The fight went on. Tommy was getting groggy and slow, his movements growing sloppy. His parrys were coming slower and slower- Techno’s slashes hitting more often than before. Tommy’s shirt was soaked through with blood.

Tommy felt light during the fight- the blades giving him a source of power previously he hadn’t owned. The enchantments were meant to partner a furious spirit- a fighter who was outspoken and brash. It fit Tommy to a T. They allowed him to have focus and speed- precision he previously never would have had. But Tommy’s body was growing too tired for the enchantments to keep up with.

It was on the last swing that Tommy lost his grip- both daggers flying out of his hands. 

Tommy was on the ground and looking up at Techno now- he realized why netherite was widely frowned upon. Techno looked  _ nothing  _ like it had before they’d started fighting. His eyes were a crimson red filled with only one goal-

To cut Tommy down.

Tommy closed his eyes tight, ready for his inevitable end that would be brought by Techno’s sword. At least he’d have an epic tale be told of his death- Ah, but no one would remember him. He was just a street rat.

Why was this taking so long?

Tommy opened his eyes again and suddenly everything was flying into his face all at once. 

Phil was standing over a heaving Techno- a Technoblade that was now  _ disarmed.  _ Tommy felt tired.

He noticed the blood pooling around him soon after and that’s when the panic set in. He and Technoblade almost fought to the death. His eyes made their way over to the netherite daggers lying on the ground a few feet away and he felt sick.

The netherite was dangerous.

Tommy found himself fading in and out of focus- that is, until Phil and Wil knelt beside him, looks of concern etched onto their faces. 

“Tommy? I need you to talk to me, let me know you’re with me.”

Tommy blinked, the world slowing around him and pain setting in. 

He couldn’t speak. So instead he cried.

The horror was still very there from what had happened. He’d lost himself fighting someone who was supposed to be his friend and he’d almost  _ died  _ because of it. Phil exhaled softly and opened his arms, Tommy falling into them almost immediately.

“P-Phil, s-so sorry!” He cried, his voice cracking as tears soaked into Phil’s shirt. 

“Don’t you dare apologize to me Tommy, everything is okay. You didn’t know. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

They sat like that for what felt like hours, Wilbur tracing shapes on the crying teens back. Wilbur sang a song to him- one only Tommy and he knew- but now Phil knew too.

After Tommy calmed down, Niki approached him with Technoblade.

The guilt in the man’s eyes was very real.

“Tommy. I had no idea the enchantments on those weapons were so strong- I should have known you weren’t prepared for it. I never meant for you to get hurt-”

Tommy wrapped his arms around the torso of the man speaking, shoving his face into his shirt. 

“Big man, please don’t apologize. I was scared because- because we’re supposed to be buds and- I didn’t see  _ you,  _ Blade. We were both… Gone.”

There was an understanding between the two of them. Tommy didn’t hate Techno. And Techno didn’t hate Tommy.

Niki smiled to herself, pulling her first aid kit open and calling Tommy over. 

As long as they had each other- as long as they communicated- they would be okay. They were brothers now- even if neither of them had spoken the words, the fight and its aftermath proved that to Niki.

Phil closed his eyes as Wilbur leaned against his shoulder, watching Tommy and Techno talk about enchantments and the fight as Niki cleaned the wounds.

“Wilbur, did we make the right choice bringing him here? It’s a dangerous world we’re introducing him to.”

“Dad-” Wilbur paused for a moment, a sigh settling between them.

“We don’t get to decide whether that choice was correct. All we can do is sit back and watch the dominoes fall.”

Phil hummed quietly, opening his eyes to peer down at the sword between him and Wilbur.

He didn’t recognize it- and now that he thought about it, those daggers were meant to be  _ locked up. _

These weapons were dangerous and hidden for a reason-

Someone had been up to something.


	6. reconnaissance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil had become more interested in just how much Tommy knew about fighting after he’d seen the playback of Techno and Tommy’s fight. He’d still definitely been upset about the two fighting- especially not without supervision- but he’d also had a bit of pride in his eyes knowing Tommy had lasted 10 gruesome minutes against his eldest, most combat-experienced son. 
> 
> Tommy wasn’t thrilled with the development. In fact, if he could, he avoided fighting. He could win most battles with words- incredibly annoying, irritating words. So with every day Phil pressed him on where he’d learned to fight after he’d sparred with Technoblade, he’d only responded with a sarcastic, “From my parents, clearly.”
> 
> Tommy knew and clearly remembered exactly who taught him to fight. But he hated the person more than anything or anyone. At least, that’s what he told himself. 
> 
> Because you can’t miss someone you hate, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys so much for the support. it means the world to me :")

Time moved slowly when you were doing the same thing day in and day out. The same routine, unchanging and untouched- It was driving Tommy insane. He wanted to do  _ something- Anything.  _ Besides spar with Technoblade. 

Phil had become more interested in just how much Tommy knew about fighting after he’d seen the playback of Techno and Tommy’s fight. He’d still definitely been upset about the two fighting- especially not without supervision- but he’d also had a bit of pride in his eyes knowing Tommy had lasted 10 gruesome minutes against his eldest, most combat-experienced son. 

Tommy wasn’t thrilled with the development. In fact, if he could, he avoided fighting. He could win most battles with words- incredibly annoying, irritating words. So with every day Phil pressed him on where he’d learned to fight after he’d sparred with Technoblade, he’d only responded with a sarcastic, “From my parents, clearly.”

Tommy knew and clearly remembered exactly who taught him to fight. But he  _ hated  _ the person more than anything or anyone. At least, that’s what he told himself. 

Because you can’t miss someone you hate, after all.

Today Tommy needed to get out of this base. It was driving him insane. With so much time to think and so little time to tear apart every memory he ever had that included people he knew when he was on the streets. He refused to be a liability. 

Tommy found Niki sitting off to the side in her room, talking with Phil quietly. They both looked deeply concerned and when Tommy walked in they looked even  _ more  _ concerned. Tommy shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground, pretending he didn’t see the looks shared between the two.

“I’m tired of sparring all the time. I want to do something  _ cool.  _ Something that doesn’t involve Techno trying to kill me.”

Niki looked as if she wanted to say something but remained silent, Phil rubbing his temples in dismay. His eyes looked tired- as if he hadn’t been sleeping for a while now.

“Tommy, just how much do you know about what we’re doing here?” Phil asked, rising to his feet. His wings were ruffling by his side and Tommy came to realize perhaps he’d walked in at the wrong time. 

  
  


“Well, I know Techno never shuts the hell up about anarchy and that you lot want to destroy the government- oh. And you’re all wanted as a group of terrorists. Don’t really see much terrorism though. You’re all quite boring.”

Phil sighs gently, closing his eyes. 

“Tommy, we have an opportunity to bring Schlatt down.”

Tommy paled at Phil’s words, swallowing harshly. Schlatt was the last person he wanted to think about. All he could see was the man’s twisted horns- one missing a tip- his blood-red eyes, and his knife slashing Tommy open.

“Oh.” 

“We understand maybe this isn’t something you’re interested in. I know I brought you on to help with dismantling robots and arson and I understand if helping in the dismantling of Manburg’s leader isn’t something you’re interested in.”

Tommy felt something in his stomach turn. Phil was wrong. Tommy wanted  _ everything  _ to do with taking Schlatt down. He wanted to run a screwdriver right through his  _ eye.  _

He took a deep breath.

“No. I wouldn’t miss a chance to see that horned bitch die for the world.”

Phil was silent for a moment- his eyes were wide, his lips parted as if he was ready to assure Tommy that it was fine- he didn’t need to fight with them. But this changed things- Tommy  _ wanted  _ to help. He really wanted to be a part of this. 

Phil’s wings rose from their previously slouched position, his eyes shining with something one might call pride. 

“Then I suppose it’s time you join us on a bit of reconnaissance.”

\------

Manberg hadn’t changed since Tommy had last been there. The people were still hazy and lost, in a virtual world neither Phil, Tommy, nor Techno could see. Now that Tommy had been away from it for a while, he realized just how unsettling it was to him. The people were like ghosts in a city- filling it to the brim- but  _ not  _ with life.

“They don’t even see how lost they are, Phil,” Techno muttered, shifting ever so slightly on their path so that Tommy was hidden behind him. Tommy almost called him out on it- almost laughed at him for being protective- but realized it did help the creeping anxiety beginning to overshadow him.

They walked through alleyways and backstreets- the sights all too familiar to Tommy, all too easy to navigate. It wasn’t long until they reached a tower- one Tommy recognized as Schlatt tower.

His breath hitched. Don’t panic, don’t panic, do NOT panic. 

Phil pulled out three strange objects- they almost looked like bracelets but Tommy was sure they couldn’t be. 

He gave Tommy a small smile when he handed it to him and that’s when he realized exactly what it was. This was  _ incredibly  _ illegal technology. Something Tommy didn’t even think most gangs had access to nowadays. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised- after all, it was Phil, and this was a revolution. 

“It’s already got a few of Schaltt’s goons' DNA encrypted. A friend of ours managed to get their hands on it a few months ago- we just never had an opportunity like this to use it.” Phil explained before slipping the bracelet on.

The change was instant- Phil shrunk in stature, his wings vanished  _ completely-  _ which was a hell of a trip to see, Tommy would continue to say- his hair turned a dark brown, his green eyes turning grey. He was, quite literally, someone else. 

“Well go on then, put the bracelets on. We’ve got to be in and out- here, put these on over your clothes.”

Techno and Tommy changed instantly as well. Tommy tried not to look too hard- but when Techno was so  _ short now-  _ he couldn’t help the snicker that escaped him. Techno- or who Techno was disguised as- only glared. 

They all put on Schlatt coats- embroidered with two horns and a rose. The coats completely covered their clothing, making them look like exactly what they were meant to be- obedient followers. 

Tommy felt anxious the moment they stepped into the building. While Schaltt’s workers still weren’t the brightest group of people- at least, not most of them- they were much more  _ aware  _ than the average citizen. 

Tommy stood behind Phil and Techno, as they requested- he was there to listen and watch. Phil had promised him nothing bad would happen. They took their seats at the back of the main meeting hall- a perfect spot for observation  _ and  _ isolation. 

Things moved incredibly slowly. For the first  _ hour,  _ all Tommy saw was a bunch of adults with sticks stuck up their asses- that was until a short man in a beanie stepped on the stage. He tapped the microphone aggressively, face twisted in frustration and exhaustion.

“Alright, alright, everyone shut the hell up. We’ve got important shit to cover and hearing you all talk in circles is fucking killing me.” He spoke, tugging at his jacket collar.

His voice was not at all calm or cold like most of the people attending this meeting- in fact, it was full of fire. His eyes shone with  _ life,  _ something Tommy had only come to expect from Phil, Wilbur, Techno, and Niki. This was… tolerable. 

“Next week, we’re going to be holding the election, as you all know. Of course, Schlatt will win, obviously- but there are some… members of competition who need to be put into place.”

His eyes narrowed as he scanned the crowd, looking over the members of the crowd as if they were the most disgusting trash he’d ever seen.

“Fundy and I will be handling most of that. The rest of you morons wouldn’t last a goddamn second anyway. Regardless- security will be  _ tight  _ next week. When the election happens you bet your asses we’ll be expecting a fight.”

He paused for a moment, licking his lips before he spoke- and his eyes seemed to fall right on Tommy when he spoke again,

“We don’t have to worry about any kind of extra muscle though. Dream and his friends are back from the badlands, so I figure… well, our little revolutionary friends will have their hands full.”

His gaze was off of Tommy before he was finished. But the  _ name…  _ it hit Tommy like a punch to the gut. 

“No. It can’t be true. Phil, they’re supposed to be  _ exiled.  _ Schlatt kicked them out after-”

Phil snapped his head to Techno, narrowed eyes sending a message louder than words. It was time for them to leave. They had the intel they needed. They left the building with the rest of the crowd- but split off into the alley, starting back to the underground base they called home.

There was only one thing Tommy could think about, though. He knew Dream because of one person. One person he wished he could burn out of his memory- a person he wished he could wipe off of the face of the earth.

_ Sapnap was back in Manburg. _


	7. neverending rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holding the shoes in his hand now, he pushed open the door to the small “apartment” he stayed in with Sapnap. It could hardly be called an apartment but Tommy didn’t mind. As long as Sapnap was around he didn’t mind where they stayed. 
> 
> He entered to a sight he wasn’t expecting. Two strangers sat at the table in the center of the main room. They were laughing when he walked in but quickly stopped, the energy in the room shifting to an uncomfortable quiet. Sapnap entered the room moments after that, eyes landing on Tommy almost immediately. 
> 
> “Oh, hey. Guys, this is Tommy. Tommy, this is Dream and George.” Sapnap shrugged, sitting down at the table with the two men.

_ Weather in Manburg wasn’t a normal thing. It was always sunny, the perfect temperature- and when it was night there was a soft breeze that reached into you and pulled out the worst. At least, that’s what Tommy thought. That’s why everyone got so ugly at night.  _

_ Well, except Sapnap! _

_ That wasn’t the point, though. Tommy had a habit of getting off topic.  _

_ It was absolutely  _ **_pouring_ ** _ in Manburg. The streets were slick with rain, the skies a horribly dark grey- Tommy was soaked to the bone. Thunder clapped above him and he put a bit of pep in his step- knowing Sapnap would be upset for letting himself get caught up in all of this rain. They were always supposed to be in before it got dark to avoid the police who patrolled at night. _

_ Those officers always looked a lot closer. _

_ Tommy pushed himself through a thin alleyway entrance, his skinny frame just managing to make it through. This was one of his favorite shortcuts to get home, mostly because he was the only person who could manage it. _

_ His shoes were incredibly uncomfortable- now more than ever- since they were already a size too small and were now soaked with rain. He tried to grit his teeth and bare it- but he was already so close to being home it didn’t matter if he just took them off, right? _

_ Holding the shoes in his hand now, he pushed open the door to the small “apartment” he stayed in with Sapnap. It could hardly be called an apartment but Tommy didn’t mind. As long as Sapnap was around he didn’t mind where they stayed.  _

_ He entered to a sight he wasn’t expecting. Two strangers sat at the table in the center of the main room. They were laughing when he walked in but quickly stopped, the energy in the room shifting to an uncomfortable quiet. Sapnap entered the room moments after that, eyes landing on Tommy almost immediately.  _

_ “Oh, hey. Guys, this is Tommy. Tommy, this is Dream and George.” Sapnap shrugged, sitting down at the table with the two men.  _

_ “Hey, I’m George.” One of them spoke. His hair was a pitch black- his head was shaved on the sides but his bangs in the front fell into his eyes just a bit. He wore a jean jacket with a patch sewn onto it- the white and black smile the dream team wore.  _

_ Tommy felt himself pale.  _

_ “Hey, Tommy. I’m Dream.” His voice was low and curious when he spoke, a glint in his eye that made Tommy sure he had no good intentions planned. His hair was pulled back into a bun, a scar running along his cheek to his ear. He had the same smile tattooed on his neck.  _

_ “Sapnap- Why-” Tommy stumbled over his words, confusion fogging his brain. _

_ “Tommy, don’t be rude. Sit down. We need to talk.” Sapnap was firm in his words, tone cold and eyes piercing.  _

_ So Tommy sat. His heart was pounding, palms sweating- he was panicking. But these were Sapnap’s friends- he couldn’t be rude. If Sapnap trusted them surely they couldn’t be awful? _

_ “Tommy… I’m going to be gone for a few weeks.” _

_ He didn’t spare Tommy a second to calm down before he dove straight into the meat of the conversation. Of course, that was Sapnap. He wasn’t one to think before he spoke.  _

_ Tommy felt his world stop. He was okay as long as he had Sapnap. Sapnap was the only one who’d stuck around. Tommy felt his heart clench- because he knew what those words meant. A few weeks would turn into a few months, a few months into a year- until Tommy was nothing but a distant memory.  _

_ His eyes welled with tears- and Sapnap only glared back at him, his face scrunched into a mess of stress and hesitation. _

_ “You’ll be okay on your own, won’t you, Tommy?” It was Dream who spoke, his voice smooth and final. He spoke as if he already knew the outcome of this conversation- as if he knew Tommy was going to be abandoned.  _

_ Of course he knew. Sapnap never could keep his mouth shut. Neither could Tommy. _

_ “No, you bitch! You don’t get to do this. You- You can’t just take the only person I have and just- just LEAVE!” Tommy shouted, standing up in one fluid movement.  _

_ Sapnap crossed his arms and stared at the table, lips pressed tightly together.  _

_ “Tommy, it’s only a couple of weeks.” Sapnap said, his voice quiet. _

_ It was the only sound in the room for two solid minutes, Tommy shaking in anger- no, fury- before finally, George broke the silence. _

_ “Tommy, if it helps, Sapnap is helping us with something incredibly necessary and vital. He’s going to help us save this city.” _

_ Tommy glared down at George and then at Dream and then finally, for the first time since he’d gotten home, looked Sapnap dead in the eyes. _

_ “Yeah? Well why does it always have to be the people I care about who have to be “heroes”? You know what, I don’t give a shit.” _

_ Tommy walked away from the group and snatched up his soggy shoes, his cheap flimsy backpack, and swung the front door open. _

_ “Where will you go?” Sapnap asked softly, looking anywhere but at Tommy. _

_ “Anywhere but here.” _

_ With those parting words, Tommy was gone. Out into the hardest rains Manberg had ever seen, out into the only place he’d ever known- the streets. Tommy supposed he’d always known Sapnap would eventually leave- depending on him had gotten him nowhere. It had only cut him deeper. _

_ Tommy pulled a screwdriver out of his backpack, running a fingertip over the sloppy ‘S’ carved into the hilt. A deep, bottomless loneliness filled Tommy at that moment.  _

_ No one can ever tell the difference between rain and tears- they’re all the same, after all, to an innocent bystander. _

_ Tommy had never hated the rain more in his life. _


	8. journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tommy, listen. You’ve come this far with us, I think it’s only fair I be honest with you. We don’t just want to dismantle the government here in Manburg. We want to destroy the entire city.” Phil said. His voice was soft but got through to Tommy loud and clear. 
> 
> Tommy’s mind was running a million miles a minute- thoughts of destruction and fire and explosions and isolation- he shook his head rapidly, sucking in air quickly. Phil was in front of him now- he had no idea when that had happened- asking him something.
> 
> “Tommy, I can take you back to the base. Or… you can stay in the Badlands with a friend of ours when it happens. You don’t have to be there for it. I would never ask you to be.” Phil spoke, setting a reluctant hand on Tommy’s shoulder.
> 
> Tommy felt sick. He shrugged Phil’s hand off of his shoulder, raising the hidden panel himself, before turning back to Phil. 
> 
> “I don’t need your pity. I don’t need your guilt, either.” Tommy said.

Tommy found himself up at later hours of the night, staring off into empty space. The neon lights in the room sunk into his eyes, a dull ring of light fading in and out of his vision. He didn’t remember the last time he’d slept- he spent his past few days listening to Techno and Phil throwing ideas back and forth on the trip they were taking tomorrow- a trip he  _ still  _ was unsure of the point of- and his nights listening to Wilbur play his guitar.

In the easiest way to put it, Tommy was lost. He didn’t know how to bring up his past with the Dream Team, more than that he didn’t know how to bring up Sapnap. He knew it was going to come up at some point- he’d have to see the other man face to face eventually now that he was with Phil and Niki and Wilbur and- 

He cut his thought train off, flopping onto his back. He was overthinking this whole thing, like always. It was a simple conversation, really. 

“ _ Hey, you know the Dream Team? Yeah, one of them raised me!” _

He exhaled softly, closing his eyes. He hated that even after all this time, Sapnap still influenced his thoughts and choices. The memories were still fresh in his mind, playing on the inside of his eyelids when he lay awake at night. 

On nights like these. 

The guitar had stopped playing down the hallway, Tommy realized, and it crossed his mind it was probably time to sleep- but before he could think too long on sleep, he drifted off into it. 

\---

  
  


When Tommy woke up in the morning, he noted the  _ noise  _ that filled the hallways. Voices overlapping, sounding as if they were trying to whisper- and failing horribly.

“Wil, they want to  _ blow up  _ Manberg!” The first voice, Niki, spat. 

“So what if they do? Maybe that’s how it should be!” The second voice, Wilbur, threw back. 

Tommy took a moment to process what that meant, biting his lip. The thought settled deep into his stomach like a brick, his mouth going dry. Tommy was all for getting back at the government but something didn’t sit right with him about this plan. Blowing up an entire city seemed like overkill when the real issue was Schlatt- 

His breath caught in his throat.

Tommy slid out of his bed and walked to the frame of his door, resting a hand on the metal of the door. When he opened it, he’d have to acknowledge the reality of things- they were going to destroy an entire city. 

Tommy was just a kid.

\---

“Alright Tommy, keep in mind- this guy can be a bit odd. Don’t touch anything when we get there, don’t run off- this is serious.” 

Phil had been going on about this guy they were meant to go pick up “supplies” from- which Tommy now knew meant bombs- but still hadn’t told Tommy where it was they were going. Tommy knew the path they were taking lead to the outskirts of the city- the walls.

Personally, he’d never been. He’d heard about them- Schlatt made the order for them to be built before he was born. They were always referenced to be the backbone of the city- but frankly, Tommy thought that was bullshit. They were a tactic to keep the people of Manberg in- and “intruders” out. 

“Phil, where is it that we’re going? We’ve been walking for ages.” Tommy said, glancing at their surroundings. They were officially bordering the outskirts. Tommy felt his hands grow clammy. 

“The Badlands.”

  
  


The words hung in the air, Tommy still thinking about the route they were taking, not yet processing the new information.

“Wait- the  _ Badlands?  _ Phil, have you fucking lost it? They don’t  _ exist. _ ” Tommy said, stumbling over words. He was fully alert now as Phil flipped up a loose panel on the side of a building. It looked to be a downwards path, but the anxiety of this situation was creeping into Tommy. 

The Badlands was a myth made up to scare kids- a place that never moved on after the great war. The people who lived there were psychotic and ruthless, manic individuals who hung onto the ideals of the old world. They were the only place left in the world that hadn’t moved into the digital age. They were- if they even existed- dangerous. 

Phil didn’t respond to Tommy. Wilbur, Niki, and Technoblade passed Phil into the hidden tunnel, clearly wanting to avoid the topic. Phil sighed, letting the panel fall back to its original position. He rubbed his hands together gently, rolling his shoulders back to let his wings adjust. There was a look in his eyes that Tommy recognized as guilt- a look Tommy was all too familiar with.

“Tommy, listen. You’ve come this far with us, I think it’s only fair I be honest with you. We don’t just want to dismantle the government here in Manburg. We want to destroy the entire city.” Phil said. His voice was soft but got through to Tommy loud and clear. 

Tommy’s mind was running a million miles a minute- thoughts of destruction and fire and explosions and isolation- he shook his head rapidly, sucking in air quickly. Phil was in front of him now- he had no idea when that had happened- asking him something.

“Tommy, I can take you back to the base. Or… you can stay in the Badlands with a friend of ours when it happens. You don’t have to be there for it. I would never ask you to be.” Phil spoke, setting a reluctant hand on Tommy’s shoulder.

Tommy felt sick. He shrugged Phil’s hand off of his shoulder, raising the hidden panel himself, before turning back to Phil. 

“I don’t need your pity. I don’t need your guilt, either.” Tommy said.

He let the panel slam back into place behind him.

\---

The ride to the badlands was a silent one. They had made their way out of the city through a series of underground tunnels- where a vehicle Tommy had never seen before was waiting. The five of them climbed in- Tommy sitting beside a window next to Wilbur and Niki. There was no clear road as they drove. Phil hummed quietly to himself, a tune Tommy had never heard before. The landscape was incredibly bare. It was an open desert, the sand a deep red, with a few wilted trees littering the small patches of soil. 

Tommy felt anger boiling in his stomach the whole ride, discontent and distrust for the situation he was in. He ground his teeth back and forth to the rhythm of the tires on the sand, clenching and unclenching his hands. He could feel Niki staring holes into the side of his head, but he refused to look at anyone in the car. He was too angry.

After another hour of silence, Tommy was starting to wonder if they were ever going to get back to Manburg. All traces of society were gone, and all that was leftover was sand. The red started to blur together, and Tommy felt himself nodding off. He wasn’t sure when it was he finally slept- but he remembered hearing quiet whispers as he fell away.

A harsh hand reached out to shake Tommy awake, pulling him out of dreamless sleep. 

“Tommy, we’re here. Everyone else is already heading in.” Wilbur spoke, sliding out of the car.

Tommy groaned, rubbing his eyes as he slid out of the car himself, slamming the door behind him. He stretched his arms over his head, yawning as he felt his back pop- before he realized exactly what was before him. 

It really  _ was  _ an abandoned city. There were ruins of buildings that he knew from books used to scrape the sky split in half- the upper half-buried in the sand. Huge bars of steel hung off of ruins, glass littered the streets, and the smell of iron and metal flooded Tommy. He was at a loss for words as he trailed behind Wilbur, his mouth hanging open. 

They made their way to an abandoned building shaped like a dome- the rusted words “MALL” hung on the arch framing the entrance, and Tommy vaguely remembered stores and food courts. He’d only ever read about them, never did he ever think he’d see anything like this anywhere besides comic books or old movies. 

The mall was huge. The floors were dirty, but it didn’t change the blinding white linoleum beneath his feet. Everything felt surreal. Like a fever dream, something he’d dream about when he still slept in a library. 

He opened his mouth to say something to Wilbur when he realized he was alone. He was only just beginning to turn around when something whizzed by him, catching his cheek and cutting it open. 

He spun around quickly, his eyes landing on a figure wearing a bright green gas mask. They held a trident in one hand, and a netherite sword in the other. Tommy felt fear course through him.

“Stop where you are. Don’t move, or next time I won’t miss.”


End file.
